Goblin

Goblins started life deep in the caverns of the Maw, or 'The World Below the Bedrock' as it was called. While Ireneus thought them to be not satisfactory to dwell on the land above they were certainly well adapted to living in the permanent darkness and in the harsh climate of the Maw. This harsh environment shaped their race into what it is today: a society that favours the strongest and exploits the weakest. While other malformed creations lurked around the Goblins banded together and created the first social hierarchy deep underground, long before the first Humans first banded together.

When the Maw was finally cracked open by the Dwarves of Khorvond Dum the Goblins were some of the first on the scene; they swarmed the sleeping Dwarves and slaughtered and killed all that dwelled within. Months and years passed as the Goblins slowly exhausted the supplies of the once great citadel, emptying the food stores and breaking all the weapons and strange suits which had turned the Dwarves into metal men. While the immensely fat Goblin King lorded over them from his new throne in Khorvond the decision was made to move on to new places and leave the unmovable King behind. The bones of the King still rest on the throne. Some say you can still hear his throaty cries for help as he tried to move, but couldn't.

It soon became apparent to the Goblins that they couldn't stay in the sunlight for long. After living so long underground their skin was not accustomed to the bright light and many found themselves slowly crisping and hardening in the sun as their skin set solid; many became living statues on their journey. Having met the Dwarves before in the attack on Khorvond Dum they soon found themselves mounting raids on caravans going between the remaining ancient citadels. Unfortunately the Dwarves soon beat them back with their superior strength and physique. Apparently without the chaos caused by the other horrifying denizens of the Maw it was hard to distract a Dwarf long enough to sink their teeth in. This was infuriating to the Goblins, who possessed far greater intelligence to the Dwarves but could not achieve the destiny of their race due to the frailty of their bodies. Some let this harbour into a deep and hated loathing of the Dwarves, while others moved on to start Goblin Kingdoms in the caves and caverns deep beneath Uthrandir.

Dwarblins: After amassing a formidable force, the Goblins laid siege to Barak-Nor intent on its destruction. At the time the Dwarves had no form of military as they never before had to fight another sentient race. Their martial culture was primalry aimed towards fighting creatures and demons of the depths. Having encountered many misfortunes, though, the Dwarves had learned to build safeguards. This is the very reason they started building the Fortress of Barak-Nor after the first great demon war. When the Goblin siege started, the Dwarves closed their gates and drawbridge. This made the fortress completely sealed off from the outside world and impenetrable for the Goblin army. This was good for the Dwarves inside the fortress, which was the vast majority of their civilization, but not so good for the Dwarves outside the fortress. The Goblin roamed the lands around Barak-Nor, slaying and pillaging all expressions of Dwarves and Dwarven civilization and they stayed outside the gates of Barak-Nor for decades until they eventually grew weary.

When the Dwarves of Barak-Nor re-opened their gates after 75 years of isolation they found the area trashed and burned. But when they traveled to the outpost of Amur-Kel they stumbled upon a startling discovery. They found there the outpost intact with no trace of burning or pillaging, but also not a single Dwarven male. Instead, they found 50 or so women tending to their children. But they were not regular children... they were chubby and short like Dwarves but they also boasted other features. Their noses were long and their ears pointy. Their skin was also darker than that of Dwarves. These were Goblin features, and unlike Dwarven children they found these children making intricate carvings of stone and minerals. These were Dwarblins, a cross-breed of Dwarves and Goblins.

Dwarven society was outraged by this discovery and the Dwarblins and their mothers were exiled from society. From there the Dwarblins led a wandering exitence, and not much is known about the Dwarblins during this time. We do know that several centuries later during the Age of Rekindling a Dwarven expedition stumbled upon a Dwarblin settlement and was impressed by their feats of engineering and architecture. Recognizing their value, the Dwarves re-integrated the Dwarblins into Dwarven society and they have been a valuable part of their society ever since. While some still argue Dwarblins are an abomination and a bastardization of two opposite races, others say that it is exactly this what gives them their strength. Combining both Dwarven and Goblin characteristics, the Dwarblins make into realization the full potential of both races. They possess the Goblin's intelligence without being spiteful and malevolent andboast the physical ability to give physical expression to their mental conceptions. While the Dwarves themselves remained masters of mining and robust architecture, carving out vast impressive halls, it is the Dwarblins that brought to Dwarven society intricate decorations, engineering and administration. It is also this that made them so suitable for the Bank of Karuk-Thol.

Age: Goblins are one of the most short lived races in Uthrandir, living up to only 50 soli old. This is counteracted by their fertility however, as a female can produce up to 12 spawn at once. Those who practice magic live slightly longer, to almost the age limit of a Human.

Height: Most Goblins are only slightly smaller than a Human if stood bolt upright. However their eternally hunched posture usually sets them around the height of a tall child. It is known for some Goblins to grow immensely if fed the right things at birth, developing into a monstrous bloated beast that can barely move. These often become the rulers of Goblin Kingdoms, of which there are very few, or in some cases are eaten by the rest in times of famine.

Weight: In general Goblins maintain a very slender physique through constant movement and fighting. Some are born with an unfortunate defect that causes them to put on weight more easily. These are often deemed the weakest of the race and forced to do the most menial tasks.

Garments: Simple tribal wear fashioned from skins or stolen fabrics usually constitute the clothing of Goblins. These are often caked in mud or other staining materials and give the clothing a very unique appearance. Sometimes a Goblin will adopt a more Human-like disguise to traverse the world above without being noticed.

Appearance: Layers of tiny needle like teeth line the mottled green hole that is the mouth of a Goblin with a pointy tongue lolling about inside, out of sight. Beady little eyes that range from reptilian to nearly Human take up the majority of the head, squashing the small and pointed nose down towards the gaping mouth. With their bloated bodies and spindly limbs the Goblins are some of the most ugly denizens of Uthrandir. While small and generally hideous looking the Goblin is incredibly intelligent and not to be approached as though an animal. When they feel like it they could quite easily beat any Human in a game of wit. Dwarblins, the bastardised children of the Goblins and Dwarves, have an insatiable lust for gold and are found running the formerly Dwarven citadel of Karuk Thol, which now serves as a high security bank.